for you oncewere NOT A PEOPLE,but nowyou are THE PEOPLEOF GOD;you had NOT RECEIVEDMERCY,but nowyou have RECEIVED MERCY.
"For You have establishedfor Yourself Your peopleIsraelas Your own peopleforever,and You, O LORD,have becometheir God.
"I will sowher for Myself in the land.I will also havecompassionon her who had not obtainedcompassion,And I will sayto those who were not My people,'You are My people!'And they will say,'[You are] my God!'"
But I say,surelyIsraeldid not know,did they? FirstMosessays,"I WILL MAKE YOU JEALOUSBY THAT WHICH IS NOT A NATION,BY A NATIONWITHOUT UNDERSTANDINGWILL I ANGERYOU."
For justas you oncewere disobedientto God,but nowhave been shown mercybecause of their disobedience,
NowconcerningvirginsI havenocommandof the Lord,but I givean opinionas one who by the mercyof the Lordis trustworthy.
even though I was formerlya blasphemerand a persecutorand a violent aggressor.YetI was shown mercybecauseI actedignorantlyin unbelief;
Thereforelet us draw nearwith confidenceto the throneof grace,sothat we may receivemercyand findgraceto helpin time of need.
